Redskins: Team projected to have 3-13 record by end of 2019 season

The Washington Redskins face many questions surrounding the team in 2019, but a particular national writer projects them to have a tumultuous year by finishing the season with a 3-13 record.

The end result of a potential 3-13 record might be felt within the Washington Redskins organization for years to come.

When the Washington Redskins line up against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, September 8th at 1:00 PM EST in the upcoming season, they will be doing so with hopes of playing in Super Bowl LIV and having a parade in our nation’s capital for the first time since they last won football’s biggest game in 1991 against the Buffalo Bills.  When the dust settled on the 1991 regular season, the Redskins held a dominating 14-2 record.

While the hopes for the Redskins 2019 season are that high, the expectations are not. One particular national writer for the USA Today, Nate Davis, projects the Redskins to finish the 2019 football season with a 3-13 record.  Here is what the veteran writer had to say:

"They come out of the gate against three 2018 playoff clubs (Eagles, Cowboys, Bears) — all sporting nasty defenses. The ‘Skins also head to New England in Week 5. Might make sense to keep rookie QB Dwayne Haskins behind protective glass through that stretch … at minimum."

The Redskins have not seen a 3-13 record since the 2013 NFL season.  In that season, the team was led by then head coach Mike Shanahan.  It also featured a recently-injured Robert Griffin III, and mostly inexperienced Kirk Cousins at quarterback.   Griffin finished the year at 3-10 while Cousins was 0-3.  To note, this was Griffin’s first year back since suffering a torn ACL in the playoff defeat to the Seattle Seahawks in 2012.  Griffin never should have come back to start so soon after the injury, as he was arguably not ready to play.  Ironically, the Redskins lost the Week 1 opener that year 33-27 to the Philadelphia Eagles.

In 2019, the end result of a 3-13 record might be felt within the organization for years to come. To start, head coach Jay Gruden would be fired along with his staff (maybe except for a particular offensive coordinator), the unpopular team president Bruce Allen could be reassigned or relieved of his duties, and it might even show that a certain rookie QB might not have been ready to play after being a full-time starter in college for only one year.

While media types like Davis might think the Redskins are headed down a boulevard of broken dreams in 2019, it can be argued that this team is much better than the one that got Mike Shanahan fired and replaced by the current head coach Jay Gruden.

The 2019 Washington Redskins have a much better quarterback situation with Case Keenum and Dwayne Haskins, a potentially dominant defensive line, a solid mix of young and veteran running backs, and a recently revamped coaching staff.  The team on both sides of the ball is also stocked by design with players who display high character and have quality leadership traits.

While participation in Super Bowl LIV in Miami, Florida is the ultimate goal for the Redskins, most followers of the team would take making the playoffs for the first time since 2015.  The idea of the team going through the dysfunction and chaos associated with a 3-13 record would almost be unfathomable to the fan base of the team… almost!